2006/06/13

D2 - Moldova Visa


12JUN - Day 2 - Budapest - Km0
 
Dilluns pel mati, he d'aprofitar avui per comprar el visat de Moldavia. Segons m'havien informat, es pot aconseguir el visat a l'ambaixada el matex dia pagant 60USD. Vaig a l'adreca que em donen amb els meus dolars acabats de treure del banc, resulta que son 60 mes 5 per la feina d'oficina :-( Una feina que, tot sigui dit, mal feta perque hi ha un error en les dates del visat que el consul arregla amb una correcio amb boligraf a sobre del visat mateix... espero que la setmana que ve a la frontera no em posin problemes.
Despres de l'ambaixada vaig a veure Irene (Barcerlona) i David (Budapest) que porten vivint aqui junts mes de 4 anys. Dinem junts i m'acompanyen a l'estacio de tren a buscar el bitllet per marxar dema cap a Ucraina. Els horaris que em donen de Budapest a Odessa no m'agraden i acabo comprant nomes el bitllet fins a Tchop, a la frontera, dins ja d'Ucraina. Si tot va be, alla mateix podre comprar el bitllet fins a Odessa.

Today is Monday. In the morning I went to the Moldovan Embassy to get the visa. The building is situated in the District II, on the Buda side, the same street where I lived my first month in Budapest, back in April 2004. Easy to find but the door is locked :-( I know today is bank holiday in Russia, I am wondering if they close too... I ring the bell the second time, no answer. I have their phone number in my agenda, I call from outside, they are in, they work but the bell doesn't. The consul goes outside and opens the door for me. He has an office on the back of the house, dark wood furniture, lots of moldovan passports on the table, a big picture of a man in the wall, probably the Moldovan president or prime minister... Skype "peeps" constantly in his computer. I fill the papers, he prepares the Visa very quick for 65USD... There is a mistake, is a 30-day visa but the entry date is 12/ 06/06 valid until 11/06/06, he put June instead of July. I complain. He smiles and write a side note with pen correcting the mistake... I am wondering if the customs police will accept it. I have been told that Moldova is open to tourism more and more but I also heard that police is corrupt and ask for bribes at any excuse. I will find out in 1 week time.
I met David and Irene in the afternoon, their little dog "Luna" likes new visitors, for the first half an hour she was requiring my attention with plenty of energy. We had lunch together and they came with me to Keleti, the train station on the East part of the city. We asked for tickets to Odessa (Ukraine), the lady at the information counter could not give me a good schedule, the one I found myself in internet doesn't seem to exist anymore. Finally I buy the ticket only until Tchop, at the ukrainian border and I will try to get luckier there. Unfortunately is not possible to buy a one-way ticket, only return. 30EUR for less than 300km.
Everything is done, not perfectly but ready to take the train tomorrow at 7am to go to Ukraine.

posted by budapest2beijing at 17:09